Through The Darkness
by JadeRios
Summary: Getting caught was the best thing to ever happen to her.......rated for violence and language.
1. Of Glamours and Bruises

_**CHAPTER 1**_

****

It was late.

All was quiet in the castle. The time was 1 in the morning & everyone was asleep.

Except for a certain know-it-all seventh year lurking in the dungeons, carefully concealed under her invisibility cloak.

Hermione Granger inconspicuously worked her way into the potion's store room. She had been doing this for about two years.

Since she had been dating Ronald Weasley.

Now the truth of the matter was Hermione loved Ron and vice-versa, yet whenever Ron was upset, Mione became his personal puching bag.

As Hermione gathered the ingredients she needed, for the glamour potion she used to hide her various scars and bruises, she didn't notice when the door opened and a dark shadow swept into the room.

"Well, Miss Granger. I certainly wasn't expecting you to be the rat that has been stealing from my stores."

Professor Severus Snape's icy drawl had surprised Hermione, but she couldn't face him. She could feel the potion wearing off and the glamour charm disappearing.

"Miss Granger, I demand that you face me at once! Why are you here?" Snape said, on the verge of losing his temper.

About to answer him, Hermione opened her mouth and emitted a sharp gasp and doubled over in pain.

The potion faded completely and Hermione could feel her recent accumulation of cuts and bruises form all over her body.

Feeling as if she was about to collapse, her legs suddenly gave way and she landed with a thud on the cold, stone floor.

Hermione was trying to figure out how to make use of her legs when a blinding light flooded her vision.

Snape had lit torches and put them in brackets on the walls to light the store room.

"Ms. Granger, " Professor Snape said, his voice held a hint of concern, "what is the meaning of this?"

When Hermione looked up at him, he winced.

Severus took inventory of her injuries: a black eye, a shallow gash across her cheek that was poorly healed, bruises on her neck & what looked like fingerprint impresions on her wrists.

'I wonder what else shes hiding' Snape thought to himself. How long had she been like this?

His internal inquiry was cut short by a whimper as Hermione tried to get up.

"Miss Granger, who did this to you?" her professor asked, going over to help her up.

"Please don't hurt me." Hermione whispered as she withdrew against the wall, watching him approach.

Snape ceased his movements as he saw her recoil.

"Miss Granger, you need to go to the hospital wing. You need help." He said trying to reason with her, but this was apparently the last thing she wanted to hear.

Her eyes widened considerably and she tried to shake her head but was in too much pain.

"Will you at least tell me who did this to you? I can help you. I want to help you. Tell me, Hermione." Severus said, again trying to get her to confess how she came about her injuries.

Hermione eyed her professor warily. She saw his mouth moving but all she heard was her pulse pounding in her ears. She was so tired. She closed her eyes and fell blissfully into unconsiousness.


	2. Of Speculations and Promises

_**CHAPTER 2**_

"Poppy!"

Severus Snape stormed in to the Hospital wing carrying the unconscious Hermione Granger.

There was no answer. He found an empty bed and put her down.

"POPPY!"

Snape screamed louder, hoping for the first time in all his years at Hogwarts that the mediwitch was here.

Madam Pomfrey appeared and started, "Severus Snape, what business do you have coming in here and yelling at this time of night. Now what could possibly be the problem?" Severus waited for her to finish her tirade and then stepped aside showing her Hermione's limp form on the bed.

Madame Pomfrey had the grace to look embarrased after her scolding and moved to examine the girl. "Oh, my. Where did you find her? And how did she accumulate such an array of - oh gods, there are more. Severus, get the Headmaster. Now." the mediwitch ordered.

Snape moved to the fireplace and then decided better. Dumbledore would still be asleep. As he made his way to the headmaster's office, Severus Snape replayed the scene over in his head...'Who would do that to her? And why would she hide it for so long? It must have been someone she knows. But I doubt...Potter & Weasley. If one of them did that to her, Merlin, I will have their heads.' He growled, inwardly.

Severus approached the Headmaster's Office and said the password ("acid pops").

He knocked on the heavy wooden door. No Answer. He knocked louder.

There was some movement on the other side of the door. He knocked again for good measure and the door swung open to revealed a groggy Dumbledore. "What is it? Oh, it's you Severus. Is something wrong?" He stepped aside to let Snape into his office.

"Yes, something is wrong. Poppy sent me to get you." Snape said not bothering to conceal his worry for the girl now lying in a hospital bed. "Hermione Granger collapsed in my store room and I couldn't think of anything else to do but bring her to Poppy..."

"Severus, you're rambling." Dumbledore interrupted him. Snape blushed. "Now, tell me exactly what happened. Slower." Dumbledore said calmy, though inside he was bemused at the amount of, for lack of a better word, affection he felt for the stubborn Gryffindor. He led the way out of his office and they headed for the Hospital Wing.

"Well, I was in my office finishing up some third year essays when I heard a commotion in my storeroom. I had noticed lately that my stores have been running low when I know that I ordered enough ingredients to last me at least till Christams. Tonight I caught the culprit in the act. What I had not expected was that she collapsed. She had apparently been gathering ingredients for a glamour potion. When I told her to turn around so I could repremand her she doubled over in pain. When I went over to help her she said 'please don't hurt me'. Albus, " Snape stopped dead in the hallway.

He looked at Dumdledore, sadness and anger filled his eyes, and his voice was was low with the effort of controlling his anger.

"...she was severly injured. From what I saw she had a black eye, a cut on her cheek that had been headled improperly and several bruises around her neck. You know how I feel about her. And although I have never done anything to raise suspicion, if I find out who did this to her then I don't know if I will be able to take responsibility for my actions."

There was a long moment of silence following Snape's declaration.

"Yes, yes my dear boy," Severus shuddered, he hated being called that. "Rest assured, we will find out what happened to Miss Granger."

And with that they continued on to the Hospital Wing. When they arrived Hermione still had not woken yet.

"Oh, Headmaster I'm glad you're here. We need to speak." The Mediwitch appeared from behind a white curtain.

"I am sure Severus informed of Miss Granger's condition. I ran a diagnosis spell and in addition to her outward injuries she also has a fractured rib. I have already set about healing her rib with a dose of Skele-Gro. I have tried waking her up but it seems young Hermione has slipped into a coma." Madam Pomfrey stated sadly, while Dumbledore and, interestingly enough, Severus listened intently. As the Mediwitch continued speaking Severus clenched his fists and a pained look flitted across his otherwise emotionless face.

"Shall we continue this in your office, Poppy?" Dumbledore suggested. "Yes, i think thats best. I have to write up a report on her condition, anyway. This was not from normal activities." She led the way to the office but Albus stayed back for a minute to gaze upon his Potions Master, who was staring dejectedly at the still form of Miss Granger.

"Severus?" Dumbledore inquired but the man just shook his head, his eyes never leaving the young woman.

Dumbledore followed in the mediwitch's wake and left Severus alone. Severus moved closer to the bed. He walked over to the side of the bed and pulled up a chair close to Hermione's prone form and thought.

'Do not worry, Hermione. I promise I will find out who did this to you.' He reached over and gently took the girl's hand in his own, while he waited for her to wake up.


End file.
